Overflow device for sinks.



PATENTED APR. 19, 1.904.

E. G. AKERS & R. ROSS. OVERFLOW DEVICE FOR SINKS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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PATENT OFFICE.

EARL O. AKERS, OF PORT HURON, MICHIGAN, AND ROBERT ROSS, OF

SARNIA, CANADA.

OVERFLOW DEVICE FOR SINKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,871, dated April 19, 1904.

Application filed June 1'7, 1903. Serial No. 161,778. (No model.)

To all wit/1721 it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EARL O. AKERS, of Port Huron, in the county of St. Clair and State of Michigan, and ROBERT Ross, of Sarnia, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Overflow Devices for Sinks; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel overflow device for sinks; and the object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is constructed to retain in the sink a body of water of predetermined depth for washing and draining purposes and at the same time allow water to continuously-flow into the sink from the supply-faucet and away therefrom through the usual drain-pipe.

A device embodying our invention embraces in general terms an upright tube which is open at its upper and lower ends and is adapted to fit over the drain-opening of the sink and is provided at its base or lower end with a flange which fits flat upon the bottom of the sink around the drain-opening therein, the flange being made flexible, whereby the device is held in place by the weight of the superposed water acting downwardly on said flange. The flange is made flexible at its margin, so as to enable it to fit closely upon the bottom of the sink and prevent the passage of water between said flange and said bottom of the sink.

As shown in the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of a typical sink, showing our improved overflow device (shown in axial section) applied thereon. Fig. 2is an axial section of said overflow device removed from the sink. Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

As shown in the drawings, A designates the bowl of the sink, a the drain-opening in the bottom thereof, and A the drain-pipe, which 18 attached to the bottom of the sink below said opening to receive and carry away the water drained from the sink. The usual screen A is shown as extending across said drain-opening.

B designates as a whole our novel overflow device. Said device consists, essentially, of a vertical tube, which is open at both ends and is provided at its lower end with a flat flange B, which is adapted to rest on the bottom of the sink around the drain-op ning therein. Said tube is preferably made tapered, being larger at its lower end than at its upper end. The inlet end I) of the tube is made larger than the faucet D, through which water is delivered to the sink, so as to allow the water to overflow through the device as fast as it is delivered to the sink through said faucet, notwithstanding the fact that the water is discharged from the faucet under some pressure. Inasmuch as the screen limits or restricts the effective cross-sectional area of the drainopening of the sink, the lower or larger end of the tube is made of sufficient diameter toleave the entire screen free for the passage of water therethrough.

The overflow device may be made of any suitable material, and desirably is made of rubber. The outer margin of the base-flange is made thin, so as to give to said flange sufficient pliancy or flexibilityto insure that the same will fit closely upon the bottom of the sinkaround the drain-opening, notwithstanding irregularities in said bottom, and thereby prevent the water passing between said flange and bottom when the device is in place. The upper part of the device is made sufficiently rigid to retain its form and prevent its collapse by contact therewith of articles which are placed in the sink for the purpose of rinsing or washing the same. The height of the tube determines the depth of the body of water retained in the sink and it may be made as long as desired Within the confines of the depth of the sink. If desired, the flange may be made separate from the tube and attached thereto in any suitable manner.

In the use of the device it is fitted over the drain-opening of the sink with the flexible flange thereof resting on the bottom of the sink around the drain-opening. The faucet D. which supplies the sink with water, is then opened and water allowed to flow freely into the sink. The Water is retained in the sink until the depth thereof is suflicientto allow it to overflow through the open upper end of the tube. Thereafter the water may continue to flow into the sink from the faucet as long as desired, and it will be discharged from the sink as fast as it is delivered thereto while retaining the desired depth of'water'therein.

It will be observed that the overflow device is held in place solely by the weight of the water acting downwardly on the flange and that no fastening device or interfitting connections are required between the sink and overflow device to hold the latter in place. This feature of the device, combined with the flexibility of the base-flange, is of considerable practical importance, as it enables the device to be used in all the ordinary forms of sink without the necessity of especially adapting the sink to the overflow device or the overflow device to the sink.

An important advantage of the device as a whole is that while retaining the desired depth of water in the sink the water may pass out of the sink as fast as it is delivered thereto by the faucet, and thereby prevent the Water from overflowing the sink at the sidesthereof.

We claim as our invention 1. An overflow device for sinks and the like comprising an upright tube open at its upper and lower ends and provided at its lower end with an extended, flat, flexible flange adapted to fit upon the upper face of the bottom of the sink around the drain-opening therein and to be held in place by the weight of the super posed water.

2. An overflow device for sinks comprising an upright tube which is open at its upper and lower ends,said tube being tapered downwardly and outwardly and provided at its lower end with a flat flexible flange which is adapted to fit upon the bottom of the sink around the drain-opening therein, and to be held in place by the weight of the superposed water.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we aflix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses, this 13th day of June, A. D. 1903.

EARL C. AKERS.

R-OBT. ROSS.

Witnesses:

T. W. HUCHINS, C. R. BLAoK. 

